HAVOK IN HOLLYWOOD • SKITZO CALYPSO • FOURTH ELEMENT • OF BROKEN
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Recher Theatre
Towson, Maryland

If you live in the state of Maryland & like to go to shows (that’s a slang term for Concerts FYI) then there’s no doubt that you’ve staggered into the Recher Theatre in Towson at some point, because this is one of the best small venues in the area that features local as well as national acts, & there’s an adjoining bar next door called the Rec Room, which is a great place for the after-party if you’re 21+...overall, this is a great party area, because TSU is around the corner, & there’s ALWAYS a party happening on any given night in this area!

Hollywood in Havok

On Saturday, April 7, 2007, Havok in Hollywood were hosting their CD release party & it was actually a really good night for local bands & local music fans, because everyone who attended, not only got to see Havok tear it up, but they also got a free copy of their new cd! When I got there, it was around 7:20 & I hadn’t bought a ticket yet, because initially I wasn’t planning on working the show, I was just going for fun, so when I got there, I was surprised that one of the OF BROKEN band members asked me if I needed a ticket because they had some un-sold tickets & he would sell me one for $5, which was 1/2 price of the $10 door cost, so I got one from him & went inside to see Skitzo Calypso already into their set & the place was already 1/2 packed, which was a surprise to me, because this was just a local music show, not a national band show!

Hollywood in Havok

Skitzo Calypso really stepped up to the plate & got their shit together...I remember seeing them a few years ago when they had different members & they were iffy, I mean they were good, but I didn’t think they had realized their full potential, & the band I saw on this night had a really tight sound, really killer rhythm & they just totally flowed! They played a cover of “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns N Roses that just rocked, & honestly, I’ve seen this band a few times before, & this was their finest set I’ve ever seen them play...loud, heavy, fast, & just rockin’!

Skitzo Calypso

Fourth Element were 2nd on the bill & visually, the band just looks like anyone else...I know that visuals are not for everyone, & I can’t hold that against them, but the trippy side to their music is what really makes them stand out...think the darkest sides of Tool & Pink Floyd, & you’ve got a good idea of what makes this band special. I didn’t really walk away impressed or disappointed, I was just kinda un-sure if they really fit this particular bill, but they had their own thing going on that set them apart from the pack for sure!

OF BROKEN were 3rd on the bill & they kinda reminded me of Breaking Benjamin in many ways...they have that very popular rock sound that’s going on right now, they have their stuff together, but as much as I hate to say it, I think the bulk of the crowd was there to see Havok in Hollywood & didn’t really care that much to see OF BROKEN, although I won’t talk bad about them because they hooked me up with a ticket outside & I think if it was their crowd & it was one of their headlining shows that they’d shine a little brighter.

Walking through the crowd, it was pretty interesting to see the mix of people there...I saw many familiar faces that are at every Havok in Hollywood show, & I also saw many new faces that probably couldn’t get into the 21+ shows...I’d the crowd was a really good mix of young kids & adults, & if you’ve never been to a Maryland show before, this was probably the best representation of what the Maryland rock crowds are like..it was a pretty lax crowd that was there for a good time, & like with any crowd, there’s always a drunk guy or 6 that wanna mosh, cause trouble, & the the security guys @ the Recher are very good with dissipating those situations fast.

Ok, so around 10:30 PM Havok In Hollywood took the stage & I have to commend the band...they are a local act, but they came on like a national headliner! Singer Davey Suicide had make-up on that made it look like his eyes were bleeding & there was some sorta gold “Crud” on his face that kinda looked like something one of those weird things from Star-Trek would wear if they were burnt or some kinda weird borg, & bassist Danny Vanity had the same stuff under his eye, which made it look as if he was crying a golden tear. Havok in Hollywood is a proper mix of modern rock, hair metal, sleaze, & they have the rock star looks, the rock star sound, & they definitely know how to work a stage & get the crowd moving! The band played a bunch of new songs, but it was the older ones that got the crowd the most excited, & “Butterface” was played, which I haven't seen them do that often. The band was definitely in good spirits this night & Davey commented that “This will be a night we will never forget” before going into “The Plague of Popularity” which was probably the song that got the crowd moving, moshing & just going insane, more than any other song of the night! The highlight of the bands set was when guitarist Evan Via asked the crowd if they wanted to hear some old-school stuff & he broke into the opening lick of “Sweet Child O Mine” by Guns N Roses, & the band actually played the entire song, up until the guitar solo & then they went into a small piece of “Kashmire” by Led Zeppelin. I often wonder if the younger members of the crowd catch the little things the band throws in there, like in the middle of one song “Poison” by Alice Cooper was teased, & “The Humpty Dance” was sang in the middle of another song, & I know the older fans get it, but I wonder if the younger ones get it or just go with the flow?

Anyways, the night ended just before 12 AM & all of the bands came out & hung out with the fans & pimped their merch & when I left the show it honestly felt like I had just seen a national touring act, I mean the energy & vibe of this show was amazing, & their was more equipment on the stage for this local show than there is for some national acts & the crowd absorbed all the energy the bands produced as if it was a life or death situation...I’ve always had respect for Havok in Hollywood, & this was definitely one of the bands shining moments...it was a great night for Maryland rock n roll!